Independent senator Rex Patrick says after seeing the government’s latest draft of the Religious Freedom bill he doesn’t know why they are making it a priority.
While few people have seen the bill, including members of the government, Patrick has told AAP that it was shameful the government has made the long promised legislation a priority over other issues such as the creation of a federal anti-corruption body.
Senator Patrick said the draft bill includes a range of example on how the laws might work once implemented.
“That just goes to the real issue … it’s really, really hard to draw lines in relation to discrimination,” he said.
“We have laws in place, and in circumstances where there really is a problem the courts can look at these issues and they can do so understanding all of the facts and the circumstances of any particular case.”
The bill is expected to be presented to the Coalition Party Room on Tuesday. Appearing on the ABC program Afternoon Briefing on Monday Liberal MP Jason Falinski said he had not yet seen the legislation but was expecting it to be presented by Attorney General Michaelia Cash tomorrow.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese also confirmed he was yet to see the proposed legislation during an appearance on the Sky News program Afternoon Agenda.
Albanese said while his party was fully supportive of religious freedom, he couldn’t comment on a bill that the government had not shared. Earlier in the day Albanese said many religious leaders he spoke to had expressed disappointment that the government had not worked in a bipartisan way to develop the bill.
With only a few weeks remaining in the 2021 parliamentary calendar it has been suggested that it might not be possible for the government to successful pass the bill through the house and the senate. However Minister for Employment, Workforce Skills, Small and Family Business – Stuart Robert – has argued that there is more than enough time for the legislation to traverse the parliament before the next election.
Speaking to Sky News Robert said the government had consulted “extensively and widely” about the bill, despite many members of their own party not having seen it yet.
“If you are not pleasing everyone, you’ve probably landed the policy option in the right place,” Robert said.
OIP Staff
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